TIRE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT
OVER 3.000 MARTIN COL'Nt*
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
—- -i
VOLUME XLIX—NUMBER 65
William it on, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, Aupust Id, 1916
ESTABLISHED 1899
Operators Ready For
Williamslon Market Opening
* -a—— .1 ■ - - - _ „
Left to right, Messrs. Elmo Lilley, S. Claude Griffin, Leman Barnhill and Jimmv Tavlor, are returning to the helm as
ZmT 5 ° ! C New C“™«“ ■* Warehouses in Wi.li.mJn this seasl T™i mel, a« well
ists They have cTmDle e DL'rf'.r1'"" °f,ras,crn Ca™li"° as leadi"8 cittens, farmers, business men and tobacco,,
ists. Ihev have complete plans for the market opening Monday. August 19. and are all set for a successful season.
II
II
Pictured left to right, Messrs. Edward Corey, Bob Edmondson, Carlyle Langley and Johnny Gurkin are all set for a
big opening next Monday and a successful 1946 marketing season at the Roanoke-Dixie and Planters (Brick) Warehouses.
All these men, returning to their positions as able tobacconists and warehousemen, have established themselves as leaders
in this section in various fields of endeavor, especially in business and tobacco.
Funeral Monday For
Dr. ¥m. R. Burrell
-■ ' g <
Retired Minister
Died Last Friday
At Florida Home
Funeral Sorvicrs Are Held
In Church Here At
4:00 O’clock
Dr. William Richard Burrell,
former pastor of the W’illiamstnn
Memorial Bapt'st Church, . j at
the home of his daughter, Mrs. J.
D. Workman, in Lake Worth,
Florida, last Friday afternoon at
2:00 o’clock after months of de
clining health. His condition had
been critical for several weeks
and last Thursday friends were
advised here that the end was to
be expected. Death was attribut
able to heart trouble.
The son of the late Charles E.
and Lucy Burrell, he was born on
September 1, 1871, in Ottawa,
Canada. In early youth he at
tended the Toronto City Schools,
and later studied in the School of
Infantry, Toronto, and School of
Cavalry, Winnipeg. He also
studied at University of Seattle
and later at McMaster Universi
ty and Lanier University, Atlan- j
ta. He held the degrees of M. A.,
D D., and D. Litt.
Going along with several broth
ers, Dr. Burreii, as a young man,
turned to the ministry in early
life and was licensed to preach
in January, 1894, at. the First Bap
tist Church in Seattle, Washing
ton. He served as student pastor
in several Canadian Churches and
was ordained in Hillsburg, On
tario; Livingston, N. I.; North
field, N. J.; Richmond, Va.; Louis
burg, N. C.; Monroe, N. C.; Mur
freesboro, N. C.; Asheville, N. C., I
ana nere twice.
Dr. Burrell was president of
the Christian Endeavor Union,
Essex County, N. J„ moderator of
Morris and Essex Association, N.
J., and vice president of the New
Jersey State Baptist Convention
in 1006.
He came to Williamston first in
January, 1915, and served until
1921. During that period the
Williamston Memorial Baptist
Church was built, and he was
granted a leave of absence to
serve in the armed forces during
World War I. He directed religi
ous and educational activities
first as a member of the Ameri
can Expeditionary Forces in Eng
land and later as a member of the
Mesopotamian Expeditionary
Forces, working in the Near and
Far East
After returning to his adopted
country, he resigned his pastor
ate to head the department of
religious education at Chowan
College, serving as the institu
tion’s acting president one year
during the meantime. He was
vice president of the State Baptist
Convention in 1930, president of
the Baptist Ministerial Associa
tion, Asheville, in 1934, and presi
dent of the General Ministerial
Association, Asheville and Bun
combe County, in 1939.
He was a Kiwanian, holding
life honorary membership in the
(Continued on page eight)
1
Dr. William R. Burrell, for
mer local Baptist minister,
died at- his home in Lake
Worth, Florida, last Friday.
Burial was in Williamston’s
Woodlawn Cemetery Monday
afternoon following services
in the local Baptist church.
Series of Assaults
And Robberies In
Everetts Saturday!
Store Entered And Man!
Found UneonseiouH In
Road Diteh
The Rarnhill Supply Company
store was entered by thieves and
several persons were attacked, in
cluding one highway robbery, in
Everetts last Saturday evening
and night. Officers are still try
ing to piece together broken evi- J
dence in several of the .cesr-sj
while one defendant was carried
into court Monday morning to de
fend his actions while on a ram
page in the county town early |
Saturday evening.
Albert Williams, bubbling to I
capacity with watermelon, sweet
w'ine and liquor, took charge of
the town. He cursed and abused j
several persons and chased an- j
other one home before a cousin, j
Robert Crowell, crowned him
with a stick. He was jailed by
Cpl. W. T. Simpson of the high
way patrol.
Later that night, two men at
tacked Lonnie Williams, white
man, threw him into a road ditch
just west of the town’s business
section. His face was badly beat
en and w'hen he was found his
pockets were turned out and he
was without shoes. Most of his
clothes were torn from his body.
Mrs. Thurman Peakes, hearing a
commotion in the street, looked
out the window and saw two men
throw Williams into the ditch.
‘‘We ought to kill him,” she heard
one remark.
Sometime between midnight
and daybreak, some one broke the I
transom over the back door and I
entered the Barnhill Supply Com- ■
pany store. A small amount of j
(Continued on page eight), l
I Varied List Of
Historical Data
In Leaf Edition
-v
Several Stories By the Late
C\ B. Hassell Are In
eluded In Group
After delving deep into old j
books and records and pleading
with the county’s best historians,
The Enterprise staff today is
sending out its annual tobacco
market edition with a varied list
of historical data and interesting
stories and biographical sketches,
including several from the pen of
the late C. B. Hassell. A brief
summary of the contents follows:
In addition to current happen
ings. this section of the annual
market edition carries a story by
Mr. Warn n II. Biggs about a late
Martin County writer-poet.
Rev. B. T. Hurley has an inter
esting account on Methodism and
the local church. On the same
page is an account of the sale of
a lot in Williamston more than a j
century ago for $60. Then there
is a story about John Bull from j
the pen of the late Mr. Hassell, |
and a brief description of Wil
liamston in 1812. On the third,
I page of the section, a member of
the staff dug up a bit about Sir
Walter Raleigh. Mr. Hassell has
a 3-columned story about Christ
; mas, and there are several other
I historical facts carried in shorter !
articles. Then on page four, Mr. I
Hassell tells about an old-time I
barber who had many irons in th
fire. There’s a story on page six I
related by a former slave, and a
few other items relating to tobac
co. On the next to the last page
in the section there is a short his
tory about smoking. An account
about witches in Williamston was
borrowed from the writings of
James Ross.
A feature article on the front i
page of another section lists the '
names of Martin County men who |
served in the Mexican war. The j
facts were found in an edition of 1
the Williamston Mercury buried
(Continued on page eight) j ’
'! SCHEDULE
V
Getting under way prompt
ly at 9:00 o’clock on opening
day next Monday morning,
tobacco sales on the local
market will run five hours
each day, certainly for a
while. The sales will continue
until 12:00 o'clock noon and
will be resumed at 1:00 p. in.
to run until 3:00 o'clock. The
sales are scheduled for five
days each week.
It is possible that the sell
ing schedule will he altered
later in the season if deliv
eries block the factories.
Sales will be limited to 400
piles per hour or 2,000 per
day, and the max* .aim
weight allowed per basket is
250 pounds. Purchases by
warehouses will be included
In the number of baskets a
market is allowed to sell, it
was explained.
RED CROSS MEETING
—-<t>
Area supervisors will attend !
the annual meeting of Martin j
County Red Cross Chapter mem- I
bers in the courthouse here Wed- I
nesday evening at 8.00 o'clock.
The public is invited and urged j
to attend.
Issues First World War II!
‘ Victory Day ’ Proc la mat ion
Whereas, August 14th, 1945,'
marked the capitulation of Japan,1
bringing to a victorious and final
close the greatest war ever fought
in freedom’s cause. More than
300,000 gallant American fighting
men and woii.cn gave their lives
to bring about the defeat of
Nazism, Fascism and Nipponism
and
Whereas, the day marking the
complete military triumph for
America and the nations allied
with her in the global war of lib
eration ranks with the most im
portant dates in human history
in the building of a new world in
which ali mankind hopes peace
will be enduring and war forever j
outlawed
Now, therefore, T ,L L. jj., , !|,
Mayor of Williamslon, in accord
with the patriotic proposal of the
American Legion that the termin
al date of World War II be suit
ably observed, do heieby pro-;
claim Wednesday, August, 14th,
l!)4ti, as "Victory Day” of World
War II and I call upon our citi
zens to sc t aside their usual pur
suits to pay tribute to our heroic
dead of that great conflict and to
the fighting valor of our fighting
men and women and to rededicate
ourselves to the task of translat- I
ing our great victory into an en
during peace.
J. L. Hassell, Mayor,
Strong Corps Of
Buyers Assigned
The Market Here
—*—
Two New Members Air To
Report Here For The
First Time
Williamston’s Tobacco Market
this year will have one of the
strongest corps of buyers in its
history, a member of the local
board of trade declared this week.
Most of the old buyers are re
turning, but two replacements are
being effected, it was announced.
Mr. Hill Averett of Oxford is sue- |
cording Mr McClure for the K.
J. Reynolds company. Mr. Me-'
Clure made many lasting friend
ships during his stay of several
years here and they hate to See
him leave, but Mr. Averett comes
highly recommended as a buyer
and friend of the farmer. Just 1
recently out of the service, he is
now on the markets in Georgia, j
Mr. Ed Charles, another buyer
who made many friends here, is
going t i the Export Company’s
factory in Greenville and he is
(Continued on page eight) j
Mayor John L. Hassell Renews Invitation To People
In This Entire Section Of State To Visit Williamston
The Williamston Tobacco Market will open with the
other markets in the Bright Leaf Belt on Monday,
August 19th, 1946, for its forty-fifth season.
The operators of the Roanoke-Dixie, Planters, Farm
ers and New Carolina Warehouses are all in readiness
for the great annual event.
These warehouses are under the management of ex
perienced tobacco men who have been in the business for
years and know the value of tobacco and how to make
it bring the high dollar. You will find at all those ware
houses competent and experienced help and you are as
sured every courtesy and consideration in handling
your tobacco. These warehouses comprise about four
acres of floor space well lighted and in good shape for
the handling of the golden weed.
Buyers representing all the leading tobacco com
panies and independent buyers will be on this market
and the tobacco farmer is assured of receiving top prices
in Williamston.
Williamston is the logical place to sell your tobacco
as it is the hub of a system ol' hard surfaced roads ex
tending in every direction and easily accessible from all
parts of Martin and adjoining counties.
Williamston extends to every one a cordial wel
come to visit us not only on tobacco opening day but all
through the marketing year,
You will lind in Williamston wide awake merchants
with everything tor the family and a visit to them will
assure you that our town is the proper place to do your
shopping.
Remember that you are welcome at all times.
Mayor John L. Hassell
Farmers Anil W arehousemen
Are Optimistic About Prices On
The Eve Of Marking Opening
Martin Fanners Preparing
Tobacco For The Markets
-*
Hardly before the harvest was
complete.'’ and the last curing was
removed from the barn, Martin
County farmers opened up their
pnckhouscs and took their places
behind grading stands to prepare
their 194(5 tobacco for the mar
kets. A few started grading last
week or about one day after they
had cured (heir last barn. Hun
dreds are engaged in the task this
week.
Conflicting reports have been
heard about grading the crop this
year. Some leaders are advising
a return to strict sorting while
otlu rs say that loose grading will
prove just as satisfactory. How
ever, it is fairly certain that it
will pay the grower to separate
(lit’ inferior quality from the best.
Where the leaf is of about the
same color and quality, some far
mers are of the opinion that it
will be necessary only to bundle
it. Reports from the border tell
about fairly wide price fluctua
tions, with the baskets having
some infeuor quality leaf along
with some good tobacco holding
to the low side.
Anxious to market their crop as
rapidly as possible, farmers are
expected to block the warehouses,
certainly during the early part of
the season. However, a slight de
crease in deliverii s is to be ex
pected alter the first few days
and then again during those per
iods the Carmci s are busy har
vesting utlier crops.
Three New Firms
Will Open Here
Three new bui.int-s.-; firm.- Me
Lawhorn - Conway Furniture
Company, and L< ggett’s Soda
i Shop—will hold their formal
openings here Saturday morning
of this week at 9:00 o’clock.
The furniture fnm, Messrs. D.
C. McLawhorn and 15. L. Conway,
owners and operators, is to oc
cupy the Godard Cafe building
next to Warren 11. Higgs’ drug
store, and will handle a general
line of furniture, floor coverings
and appliances.
The Muse Jewelry Company,
Mrs. Margaret Manning Muse and
(Continued mi page eight)
! Vital Statistics
Report For Past
\ear In County
v
Over 700 llirlhs And Less
'I lian 200 Deaths Are
Ke|>»rted
I
| According to a report released
j by the health department a short
! time ago, 750 babies win e boro in
this county last year, including
twenty-two stillbirths. Deaths
numbered 179.
Despite war and unsettled eon
: ditions, the birth rate held up
well during the past five years,
i but the count fell forty tieev
short of the number reported for
the year of 1955. Deaths, increas
ing slightly last year over the
number reported in 1944, were
thirty-three less than the total
for 1995. However, with an esti
mated population drop of about
3,00.0 in the county during the
war, the birth rate was possibly
higher during (hat period than it
was ten years ago, and the death
* rate was definitely lower.
Possibly one of the most unus
j ual features of the 1945 vital sta
| Usties is the proportionately larg
er number of white male births
over the white female number,
the report listing 175 white male
births and 159 white female
births. On the other hand there
were 203 Negro male births and
1211 Negro female births. Al -
though the population is almost
equally divided between the
white and Negro r.-iCi.-., the Negro
births outnumbered the white by
an even 190, or 4.4 to 314, ex
clusive of stillbirths.
The report shows that only six
of the white mothers were at
tended by midwives, but the mid
wife was in attendance upon 207
Negro mothers. There were one
white and 05 Negro illegitimate
(Continued on page six)
J
Production Drop
Big Drawback In
Several Sections
-<$>-*
(mmmI Tolliirro Kx|H*otr<l To
Sell High; Inferior
Tyi>cs Lower
i
Eastern North Carolina farmers
'an.- truly optimistic about the
price outlook for their tobacco
I crop as the Bright Belt markets
make ready tor what is expected
to be the most successful opening
in all history next Monday, Aug
ust lit. Last minute details for
the opening here are being
i handled, and the golden leaf is
expected to start moving on of
about Thursday of this week
[when the four large houses—
Roanoke Dixie and Planters and
the New Carolina and Farmers—
officially open their doors.
The Williamston market has
never been in a better position to
offer more prompt selling advan
tages, and every arrangement has
been . fferted for the successful
handling of the farmer's crop.
The best in warehouse person
al I and market arrangements are
synonymous with the market’s
name, and well satisfied that
Williamston is the place to sell,,
farmers are talking more about
price prospects than anything
else Present indications point to
a record high average, but reports
from other belt markets state that
sorry quality tobacco is selling for
a low price and that medium to
good quality is selling high.
Based on estimates made first
band by local tobacconists, the
'l>i'ice average for the opening is
expected to range right around
$50 per hundred pounds. The
better grades are selling on the
border for seventeen to twenty
ce nts a pound more than they did
a year ago, but the fixed top is
around 05 tints. Occasionally a
pile will bring a slightly higher
price. Sorry lugs or lugs of the
■woiehed or oak ie.it type and the
rough green tips are selling con
•-•idolably lower than they did a
year ago. The price has ranged
as low as one cent a pound, but
no piles were "passed.”
The disturbing drawback in
several sections of this beit is the
ct i tain decrease in poundage. De
spile an increase in careage and
excess plantings in quite a few
instances, production will hardly
measure up to last year’s figures.
Some estimates indicate the crop
will be from 200 to 300 pounds
lighter this season than last, that
in some sections less than fifty
percent of a crop was produced
on account of excessive rains.
However, with an expected price
average increase in effect, farm
ers in this county are hopeful of
an income from the crop equally
a- large if not larger than the
amount they received for their
1945 plantings.